Two Jailed For Suspected Abuse Of Baby – March 4, 2011

Friday, March 4, 2011

On Thursday, March 3 at about 4:40 a.m., Arcata Police Department officers responded to Mad River Community Hospital on the report of an infant with suspicious injuries, brought to the Emergency Room by family members. Detectives learned the infant was in the care of his mother and father when he sustained the injuries.

The subsequent investigation led to the arrest of the infant’s mother, 34-year-old Michelle Darlene Thompson of Arcata and the infant’s father, 21-year-old Brandon Scott Santiago of Arcata. Thompson is the mother of eight other children, none of whom are in her custody.

Thompson and Santiago were booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for willful injury to a child and corporal injury to a child.

Due to the severity of the injuries the infant was flown to Oakland Children’s Hospital. The baby has five fractured ribs, a liver contusion and other miscellaneous injuries.